Can We Stop Calling Facial Yoga A Thing

Let's Stop Calling "Facial Yoga" A Trend

Save for a slice of pizza after too many beers at happy hour, nothing feels like more of a treat than getting your face massaged. The Enya humming in the background, the feeling of essential oils on your pulse points — it's all so relaxing. DIY-ing your own rubdown, however, doesn't hold quite the same appeal.

Unless, of course, you give it a name that perfectly illustrates its benefits — like "facial yoga," for example. Despite sounding like something you should probably be doing with your eyebrows during downward dog, the concept has more and more people talking as of late. Want to tone your skin? Relax fine lines? Sculpt yourself some cheekbones? Do face yoga! After all, headlines have touted its magical powers: "'Face Yoga' Could Be The Key To Younger-Looking Skin" or, crazier still, "Make You Look Like You Had a Facelift." Hell, it's even trending right now on Twitter.

Not to crash the Vinyasa party or anything, but "facial yoga" is just a fancy way of saying skin massage — and it's not entirely new. Truth is, the premise of working out your face has been around for years, promising to tighten and tone your skin in the same way a ModelFit class would for your muscles.

And while there are certainly benefits to utilizing those muscle-stimulating movements on your face a few times a week, calling it an "anti-aging trend" is kind of a stretch. No matter how much it reduces puffiness or stress, it's not going to give you brand-new razor-sharp cheekbones or freeze your forehead. So let's just call it what it is: Another way to treat yourself in the comfort of your own home (and yeah, probably in your Lululemon yoga pants, too). Now can we all just go back to doing the "upward-rolling eyes" pose already?